


Drops of Sunshine

by Hyuge



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Between The Blood of Olympus (Heroes of Olympus) and The Hidden Oracle (Trials of Apollo), Books, Child of Apollo (Percy Jackson), M/M, Mythology References, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-20
Updated: 2015-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-14 21:03:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29922807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hyuge/pseuds/Hyuge
Summary: This is a Solangelo fic I wrote a while back after the events of Heroes of Olympus, before the start of Trials of Apollo.  All the events of the former series are the same and it's about how our precious boys Will Solace and Nico di Angelo finally start dating.  The story takes place in theory after Nico officially comes out to Percy and tells him how he had been in love with him for years, but has finally moved on.
Kudos: 2





	Drops of Sunshine

The war changed everyone's lives. The Greeks and Romans were united for the first time in longer than anyone could remember. After two weeks, Camp Half-Blood was mostly restored to its former glory. There were still aspects of the camp that were under repair, but all of the major parts were back to normal. Annabeth and Percy were working on getting some cabins built for the visiting Roman campers and Jason had decided to stick around. He was planning on heading back to Camp Jupiter soon, taking Piper with him. Hazel and Frank went back to California with Reyna and the others and Leo had yet to come back. After making everyone think he was dead for a week and a half, he finally sent an iris message to let them know he was alive, even Nico was relieved. That weird pit in his stomach was able to subside. He knew Leo had died, but part of him also knew that his death wasn't permanent. It was good to finally know the truth.  
  
The son of Hades had spent the three days following the Romans' departure in the infirmary as instructed by Doctor Will. The constant close proximity to the son of Apollo made him feel strange, a little nervous. Will forced conversation out of him while working on other patients and even made him assist on several occasions, but Nico enjoyed it. He never imagined himself enjoying spending time with the sunshine boy. He laughed, a lot, and when those bright blue eyes would land on him from across the room, there were butterflies. It was similar to how he used to feel about Percy, but way more intense.  
  
He didn't want to believe it. As soon as he had moved past the legend that was Percy Jackson, he had already begun to develop feelings for someone new. The more Nico thought about it, the more he realized he had never seen Will have a girlfriend. He wanted to ask about it, but was afraid to hear the answer. Once that thought crossed his mind, it became harder for him to deny his feelings. So instead, he started finding excuses to talk to Will Solace. Even now, as he sat at the Hades table eating his lunch, he caught himself stealing glances at the tall golden-haired boy seated at the Apollo table.  
  
The sound of a tray hitting the table brought him back to full attention. Jason sat down beside Nico with that lopsided grin of his plastered on his face and the little scar on his lower lip moving up and down. “What'cha lookin' at?” the son of Jupiter asked.  
  
“Nothing,” Nico snapped and shoved a forkful of his mashed potatoes in his mouth. Percy sat down across from him, blocking his view of Will. Nico sighed. “You know you guys have your own tables to sit at, right?”  
  
Percy scowled at him. “With Tyson in New Rome, my table is empty again.”  
  
“Yeah Nico. Isn't it better for the three of us who are supposed to eat alone, to group together and enjoy lunch with friends?” Jason asked, tilting his head to the side.  
  
“Whatever,” the son of Hades replied begrudgingly.  
  
Percy took a drink of his weird blue beverage and started telling some funny story about Annabeth, while Nico stared at the forest beyond. Will had asked him to meet up at the tree lining after dinner. He said that he had something to show him. Nico had been racking his brain as to what it might have been. He knew the forest pretty well and didn't think there was anything special in there. This thing with Will had too many unknowns. Nico was terrified by the idea of liking another person that could never possibly reciprocate the feelings. He didn't want to be shot down by straight guys for the rest of his life. As much as he didn't want to admit to his feelings out loud, he needed answers. Telling the others would be beyond embarrassing, but he knew Jason wouldn't laugh. Nico knew he could trust Jason more than anyone the day he had learned Nico's deepest darkest secret. He swallowed the lump in his throat and looked up at the two older boys seated beside him. Percy was still telling some story and Jason was laughing along.  
  
With a deep breath, he blurted out the question that had been on his mind for two weeks. “Do you think Will has ever had a girlfriend?”  
  
Percy and Jason stopped talking and turned to face him. The weight of their gazes made him want to crawl under the table and never come out. Percy let out a small chuckle before replying, “Yeah man, I'm sure he's had tons of girlfriends. Solace is a popular dude.” Jason kicked the waterboy from under the table and Percy let out a groan. “Dude, what's your deal?” he asked in disbelief.  
  
Jason cocked his head to the right at Nico and knit his brows together. “Seriously, Jackson? Are you that dense?”  
  
Percy's sea green eyes shifted back and forth between the two across from him and the pieces started to fit together in his head. “Ooooooh, sorry man. I didn't mean it like that.”  
  
“Whatever,” Nico mumbled before burying his face in his arms out of embarrassment. “Forget it.” He felt so dumb for asking. After Nico had come clean to Percy, he had been bombarded with questions until Annabeth told him he wasn't allowed to bring it up anymore. When she put her foot down, there was a line that could not be crossed.  
  
“I bet Annabeth would know,” Percy offered. “She's been here forever. If anyone knew, she would.”  
  
Nico lifted his gaze to see Percy getting up from the table. He walked off in the direction of the Athena cabin's dining table to get her. Jason elbowed Nico in the rib and he returned to sitting upright. This was stupid, so stupid. He shouldn't have opened his mouth in the first place. Yes, the decision to stay at Camp Half-Blood was his own, and yes, Will may have been right when he said that Nico was the one pushing everyone away, not the one being pushed away; but he was scared. He didn't want to get close to anyone and deal with them dying; he constantly dealt with death.  
  
“I'm surprised.”  
  
“What?” Nico looked up at Jason who was staring down at him.  
  
“I said I'm surprised you would like someone like Will. I mean he's a cool guy, I just wouldn't have pictured him as your type.” explained Jason.  
  
“Shut up,” replied the son of Hades, shoving food into his mouth.  
  
Percy and Annabeth approached them, smiling and laughing together. Nico was glad he no longer had any strong romantic feelings towards Percy, because the two of them really were meant for each other. He felt a calming warmth whenever he saw Percy and Annabeth together. They sat down side-by-side and her stormy gray eyes narrowed onto his dark ones. “So what's up?” she asked in her usual cheerful tone.  
  
Nico shot glances between all three of them and had suddenly lost the ability to ask the question a second time. Jason read the look on his face and stepped in for him. “We were talking about Solace, wondering if he's ever had a girlfriend. Percy thought you might know something, since you've been here so long.”  
  
The daughter of Athena seemed to connect the dots as quickly as one would expect. This smug looking grin seemed to spread across her face and she winked at Nico, making him feel rather uncomfortable. “Nope, can't say I've ever seen him with a girlfriend. I can't really speak for the times I spent away from camp on quests and stuff, but I don't think he's had one.”  
  
A deep sense of relief washed over Nico and he finished his lunch without another word. He still felt reluctant, but no longer quite as much. Just because no one had seen Will with a girlfriend didn't mean he had never had one. Nico could only hope that wasn't true.

***********************

He ate dinner in a hurry. Nico didn't want to give Jason or Percy a chance to hold him up, so even though Will was still seated at the dining pavilion, Nico took off to their appointed rendezvous location. To his surprise, the son of Apollo had somehow beat him there. Nico stopped in his tracks, a look of disbelief on his face. “But how . . . ? You were still eating when I left.”  
  
Will crossed his arms and scowled at the short dark-haired boy standing in front of him. “Yeah, it was rather rude of you to leave without me. When I saw you get up and go, I was pissed.”  
  
“Sorry,” Nico muttered apologetically.  
  
Will rolled his eyes and waved for the boy to follow him. With two large strides, he caught up to the taller teen and walked beside him. The forest was quiet at this time of day. Everyone was at dinner so no one was hunting monsters or playing capture the flag. The sounds of the dining pavilion faded away from them as they walked further into the forest. The trees grew thick around them and the light was slowly fading. Nico looked around, trying to get some idea as to where they might possibly be going, but still had no clue.  
  
“You haven't been shadow traveling, have you?” Will asked, concern in his voice.  
  
Nico sighed, “No, I haven't. Not since the fight with the Romans.”  
  
He noticed the corners of Will's lips turn up in a smile. “Good, because doctor's --”  
  
“-- Orders, I know.” Nico finished for him. They both laughed. He enjoyed laughing with Will. The sound of Will Solace's laughter filled him with warmth and heat seemed to radiate in the small space between their arms as they walked side-by-side. Nico didn't like people touching him, and yet he felt a compulsion to reach out and close the gap between them. It took every once of willpower to keep from doing so.  
  
“We're almost there,” Will informed him. Nico looked around again, still trying to figure out where they might possibly be headed. He didn't recognize this part of the forest. It was dark around them, but a sliver of light came into view between the trees ahead. “Close your eyes,” demanded Will.  
  
Nico looked up at him confused. “Excuse me?” he asked.  
  
Will pursed his lips and cocked his head to the side, arms folded together. “Just do it,” he insisted. Nico reluctantly obliged. Then, he felt a cool tingling sensation as Will covered his hands over Nico's eyes to ensure he couldn't see. He felt a chill run down his spine and Will nudged him forward with his foot. “Don't worry, I won't let you walk into anything.” Will's voice came from behind his ear and that heat he felt earlier between their arms was now even more intense behind his back. He walked forward slowly, carefully. Being blinded made Nico even more nervous. He could hear his heart thumping in his ears and wondered if Will heard it too. The forest was too quiet; his heart too loud. This was awful – one hundred percent awful.  
  
“Are we almost there?” Nico choked out, his voice a bit horse.  
  
“Mhm,” Will murmured in his ear.  
  
_Damn it, Solace. This is unbearable,_ Nico thought to himself. He felt Will's arms tense, and then he was jerked back to a stop. His body was pulled into Will's chest as the other boy had stopped walking and Nico lifted his chin. The hands were removed from his eyes, but Nico was too nervous to open his eyelids.  
  
“You can look now,” said Will.  
  
Nico slowly opened his eyes. Will was smiling down on him, his golden hair draped over his blue eyes. His mouth was so close to his own. If he stood on his tiptoes, they would probably collide. The thought made Nico blush hard. He could feel his face turning bright red and he looked away. He took in the sight of where they were. The forest had opened up to a little grove far away from camp. A small creek ran through it and a pair of squirrels chased each other in the evening light. It gave off a magical sense of nostalgia and all of the tension within him seemed to disappear in a flash. As his body relaxed, Nico began to realize that he was still leaning into Will's chest. He jumped forward, his hand clenching the new orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt he received after deciding to stay.  
  
He slowly turned to face Will, attempting to swallow the lump rising in his throat. Nico couldn't help but wonder why Solace would want to show him this place. The son of Apollo was still sporting that dorky smile of his and his tanned skin seemed to glow in the evening light. It made Nico feel even more pale in comparison. His time spent at camp the last two weeks had made him more durable. He no longer felt as if he would disappear every time night fell or he walked into the shadows. He was still the cold son of Hades, but he didn't feel cold. That was probably thanks to Will. He was shining his bright light down on him and basking him in the glow of the sun. Nico opened his mouth, but words just refused to come out.  
  
“What do you think? I found this spot the other day and thought, _'I just gotta show di Angelo!'_ ” said Will.  
  
Nico took a step towards him, his brows knit together. “It's great, but I don't really understand why you brought me of all people out here.” he said honestly. As much as he was starting to feel for Will, the notion of those feelings being reciprocated was just ridiculously hard to believe.  
  
Will closed the gap between them, standing within inches of Nico. He rested his hands on his hips and the medic looked tall and sturdy, towering over him. “You're really going to make me spell it out to you?” he asked softly.  
  
“Um. . .”  
  
Will sighed and sat down in the grass before him. He rested his elbows on his knees and cupped his chin in his hand. His shoulders tensed and Nico thought he noticed a look of desperation in Will's eyes. “You know, you're someone I've always wanted to get to know – the lonely shadow boy that was shrouded in mystery. You always disappeared before I could really introduce myself. I felt stupid, especially after I noticed those faint looks. Then I felt really stupid. I just – I wanted to solve the mystery that was Nico di Angelo.” Will looked up at him, his lips pressed together.  
  
Nico dropped to his knees, his heart racing. He couldn't stand the idea of Will looking like that. The pale dark-haired boy began to reach out his hand, but immediately withdrew it. He started fidgeting with the skull ring on his finger, twisting it back and forth, before speaking frantically. “It's not like I'm really that mysterious. I'm not full of a bunch of secrets or anything.”  
  
“You so are!” Will snapped, “You were always disappearing. Even now I still feel like you're just going to be gone one of these days. You may be out of the woods in regards to dissolving into nothing as long as you don't shadow travel, but that doesn't mean you won't just up and leave again. You're good at leaving, not staying.” There was hurt inflection in his tone. Will seemed genuinely afraid he would leave.  
  
“I don't really have a reason to go anymore, but I'd like to think I have a reason to stay.” He gave Will a small smile.  
  
The look in Will's blue eyes seemed to brighten from dark and stormy to a sunshine sky blue in a flash. A coy smile spread across his lips and he responded playfully. “I'd like to think I have a reason for you to stay.”  
  
“Oh yeah?” Nico asked, his eyebrows raised, “And what's that?” He was definitely certain Solace could hear his heart racing now. It was thumping louder than imaginable.  
  
Will shifted to his knees and reached forward, grabbing Nico's shirt by the fistful. Nico di Angelo spent the last couple of weeks wondering what it might be like to kiss Will Solace, but never did he believe it would actually happen. He stared wide-eyed at the tanned face pressed against his. Will's lips were soft but firm. Nico felt like his entire insides were exploding and he shut his eyes. All of the energy he had was sucked away and he just fell into Will's chest. It was like the sun itself was inserting every golden drop it had into his body. He raised his hands up and wrapped his arms around Will's neck. He was thicker than Nico imagined. For being a slim medic, all those wars and summers spent at camp had made him toned. His arms felt strong around Nico's frail body. He still felt like he might fade away at any moment, but in this moment, kissing Will Solace, he never felt more grounded.  
  
He didn't want it to stop, but as quickly as the kiss was initiated, it ended. Nico's throat suddenly felt hoarse and he couldn't seem to form words. His face was flushed from ear to ear and he couldn't bear the thought of looking up at Will who was peering curiously down at him. “So . . . um . . .” he stammered nervously.  
  
Will laughed lightly and pulled Nico into his chest. “You're pretty adorable di Angelo.”  
  
“Shut up, Solace.” he snapped back, his face buried into Will's chest. His words didn't have any of their usual bite. He couldn't help the dumb grin he had plastered on his face. It was pretty much impossible to not smile after making out with Will Solace. That meadow was now officially his favorite place in the entire world. He was so not looking forward to everyone's reactions whenever they finally decided to leave the little patch of Elysium Will had found in the camp's forest.  
  
“Nico.”  
  
“Yeah?” he muttered.  
  
“Are you going to hide down there all day?” Will asked while softly stroking the dark tangled locks.  
  
“Maybe. I'm having a hard believing this is real.” he confessed. Nico felt the gentle warmth of Will's lips pressed against the top of his head. The kiss seemed to sear his body with more heat and he lifted his head. His dark eyes locked onto the bright blue ones above. “I like you,” he said unwavering.  
  
Will smiled. “I like you too, Death Boy.”  
  
“Don't call me that,” he said angrily.  
  
“Sure thing,” responded Will, still smiling.  
  
Nico pressed his lips together. “Can we stay here a little longer?” he asked.  
  
“Sure thing,” Will said again, before leaning in to plant a delicate peck on Nico's lips.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a few years ago, but just recently decided to post it here. I appreciate any comments you have regarding it. I'm a little behind on the fandom now. I haven't stayed up to date on the most recent TOA books, but it was nice to see them as a couple in the first volume. CnC's always appreciated.


End file.
